Photo above, Lindy relaxing on Gilli Air

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Sunday 17th September 2006

Left Gilli Air at 0630 hours, and had an interesting sail to Bali, the wind was mainly 30 degrees off the bow, so it was a beat. The tide/current was very strong at times, up to six knots with us, so completed the journey in very good time, we where
sailing over the ground at 11 knots at time, and the log registered 40 miles, but the true distance was 54 miles, so the tide gave us 14 miles in the 8 hours sailing time.
Getting into the anchorage was fine, the entrance to the reef was buoyed, water is green and murky, a lot of rally boats already here, anchored in 8 metres of water, putting out 35 metres of chain, quite a way from the dingy dock, so will put the 15 hp outboard on the dingy.
There are 100's of kites being flown, and some great shapes. Simon from Ameru 5, stopped by, gave us some info about the place, and encouraged us to go on a tour tomorrow to see a traditional village, which we agreed, and as he was going ashore, booked us in.
Pleasant night on board, with a pasta and a film, nice to be on our own of a change.

Monday 18th September 2006

Went ashore at 0800 hours to check out the area, found a better place to get diesel, than what Sea Bali are doing it for, ordered 105 litre's, also arranged to have our visa's extended for another 30 days, at a great cost of 1,001,000 rp for the two of us, that's �67 in real money.
Below photo of reception area for the rally, with all it's usual flags, and also shows the anchorage.

We joined the tour to the traditional village, and it was a pleasure to be there, the Balinese people in the village are such lovely people, so calm, the whole village had a calming affect, in the photo's that follow, just look at the body language, they are so relaxed.

We where entertained for the whole day, shown into the house's, always in the shade, sleeping quarters always in the semi open, not of us, but they seem very happy.
They have been spending the last 8 months preparing for a 6 week celebration to the gods, for saving them from death, after an earth quack destroyed the village, just two years ago.
These people are very intelligent, but have great belief in there god, and take great satisfaction from it, they have guide lines for the way they conduct their lives, handed down by their elders.
They believe in an after life, and all there families that have gone before, have been buried in there tombs, in there home area, they talk to their ancestors via medians, to help them through their lives.
After death, the body is buried, but later, the scull is dug up, and burned in a satirical ceremony, this takes it's sprite to the after world, and back into ours, as they believe in reincarnation.
Photo's on next page's of traditional village, the lady's of the village preparing items of the fore coming celebrations, and a practice cock fight, we finished the day with their home produced coffee, which was very good, also had a local girl do some dancing, then we both had a shower in their natural spring.
They gave us a white sheet to write our names on as a souvenir of our visit, photo also follows with all the children holding it up,

Tuesday 19th September 2006

I started the day by taking off the anchor windless, two of the bolts to release to gearing needed heating to release them. Once it was released, the cover flew off, due to a very large spring beneath it, this looks like it controls the clutch. the problem will be putting it back!!!
Took Lindy ashore at 9am, so she could go to the supermarket, also took the five empty jerry cans to have them filled, will pick them up tomorrow.
The only problems found, once the whole windless was apart and cleaned, was the shaft had risen half an inch, which is why I took it apart, and why this happened was not obvious, the seal had disintegrated and looked as if most of it finished in the gearing sump.
Took the shaft ashore, and took a taxi to get it hydraulically pushed back in place, taking a chance that it would not break anything, the guys that where doing it, just do as you say! That worked, paid the 25,000 rp ( �1.75) then flush with success, carried on to find a seal that had broken, and again success, I also brought a car jack to help with putting that spring back.
Got back to the boat, after getting the taxi to pass the Bali Hyatt Hotel, the one we stop at 16 years ago for Lindy's 40th Birthday, could not go by without checking how much it would cost to stop the night, the suit cost after a bit of bartering, started at $450 American and can down to $380, and the garden room started at $180, and can down to $140 all plus 20% tax., I was hoping for some thing better!!!
Tried fitting the gearing back, this needs the big spring pushed back, then securing with a cir-clip, using the newly brought car jack, but after two hours, put up the white flag.
Took all the stuff in the dingy to the beach, found the taxi man, it was now 5pm, ask if he knew if the work shop was still open, he said he would ring them, they were, and would come and pick me up, and were there in 20 minutes.
Arrived at work shop, which now had a restaurant outside it, run by the workshop owners wife, it took nearly three hours to get this thing back together, and was then driven back to the dock 20 minutes away, I asked how much the bill was, he made some remark about four men being involved, which was true, maybe not all needed, never the less they were there, and said his work was 100,000 rp, (�7) I gave him 200,000rp, and he seemed pleased, I was. Back to the boat by 8.30 pm, Lindy had cooked a pork chop, brought on her shopping trip today, with mushroom, and roast potatoes, lovely.

Wednesday 20th September 2006

Fitted the windless back in the bow, very hard and awkward to do but by noon it was back and working. Picked up the diesel, picking it up from these guys was a treat, they took it right to the dingy, and even put them in, got them back to boat, put there covers on, and secured them all.
Had some lunch, then rested all afternoon, at 5pm, we where picked up by Sililona,s tender, for a buffet dinner on Sililona, a very pleasant evening. Photo,s follow...

Thursday 21st September 2006

Took a taxi of the day, went to Kuta town, it is very modern, tidy, and a holiday town, we stopped there and spent an hour shopping in the very large hardware store called Ace.
From there we went on to Kuta beach town, saw where the first Bali bombing took place, the site still has not been re-built, opposite they have built a memorial with all the names of the murdered on it. We bought 19 DVD,s of 150,000 rp (�10) and two roll up mattresses/cushions in the very busy town, also went to a internet caf�, to check out the villa in Phuket, it is very nice, four bedrooms, swimming pool, five staff, it would certainly take the whole family, but, $650 per day (�407 per night) that would be �5,698 for the two weeks, nice if week can get a deal!
From there we went to Kuta beach had a lovely meal of Crab, King prawn, and Clams, and and bottle of very cold rose wine. After drove along the beach, very very busy, with surfers, rock band stands and holiday makers with hawkers selling anything they can.
Carried on to spend time at the Bali Hyatt, over the other side of the Island, we walked around it, I had a coffee, Lindy spent time in the shop, all very nice, but not for me.
Headed back to the boat, stopping at the supermarket, to buy some bits, got some money out of the ATM, but it paid out 250,000 rp (�18) short, our taxi driver rang their office, but it was closed, he will try tomorrow.
We got back to boat by 6pm, I had negotiated to pay our taxi man, Radar, 250,000rp for the day, but paid him 300,000rp (�21).
We planning on going out for the day tomorrow, to Ubad, with Radar.

Friday 22nd September 2006

Picked up Radars taxi at the dock, at 0830 hours, we went back to his hiuse to make a call to the bank over the short payment through the ATM. The office was not open, so we went to see some Bali traditional dancing, it lasted an hour, 10 minutes would have been good.
From there we went to the capital, Denpasar, to the Bii Bank to see if we could do anything about the ATM short coming, but it became apparent that with phone calls to Java, and England, the cost and trouble in getting the �18 back, would not be worth it.
From there we drove to Ubud, we where told it was picturesque, but to us it was a busy tourist town with lots of hawkers, very disappointed.
Drove back to the boat, taking in a very expensive wood craving gallery, lovely cravings , but hundreds of $US, one was $25,000.
Watched the Di Vinci code, it was very good, makes me want to read the book again.

Saturday 23nd September 2006

Lindy did a free tour with the rally, I stopped on board, and after changing the engine oil, refilling the fresh water engine cooling system with coolant, topping up the windless gearbox, and a very lazy day.
Plotted the next part of are trip, to Borneo, 550 miles, and will need 3 nights at sea, plotting the course basically means I am ready to go, Bali is lovely, but very busy, the anchorage is a long way from anything, so one needs transport to go anywhere.

Sunday 24th September 2006

Tidied up the boat in the morning, then took a taxi over to the Sanor area, where the Bali Hyatt is situated, We had a walk along the street close to the hotel, which has been developed with shops and restaurants.
We made use of both, Lindy found a real nice shop selling very up market frocks, and ordered some, we will pick them on Tuesday.
Got a taxi back to boat, via the yacht club, for a Bintang and a chat with the other yachties.

Monday 25th September 2006

Spent the morning discussing with Gary and Rob, the trip up to Kumai, Gary had the waypoints to get up the river, as the chart only shows 0.6 metres at the mouth, I have plotted them, plus other anchorages picked from listening to the morning net,. I later printed out the decided route plan for Gary, Rob, Jack, Trev and ourselves, it's 492 miles, the first being only 22 miles, but may have to push a lot of current., then three over nighters..
Went on the trip at 1400 hours, to an art gallery, and a museum, then on to a lovely town, to see more paintings, we brought one for 300,000rp( �21), she said it took her two weeks to paint! Then went to a temple with a.bat cave in it, the bats are considered holy, and people come into the temple and pray to them, There are 6,000,000 bats living in this cave, and at 7pm, as it gets dark, they flock from the cave in there thousands to eat fruit from the surrounding country side.
Once again we had the police escort, two police cars in front of the four coachs, there no stopping at traffic lights, they must radio ahead, as police are holding up the traffic.
Photo's that follow show the lovely paddy fields we passed on route, plus the bat temple.....